Bayer Healthcare organized a regional training program for pharmacists from 9 countries to equip them with the necessary skill sets required to work with patients.

• Through interactive workshops conducted by industry experts, the pharmacists were provided insights on working with emotional intelligence, time management, pharmacy level management of seasonal conditions, mother and child care, dermatological problems and effective pharmacy management
• Organized as a part of Bayer’s Prestige Club initiative which encourages development of pharmacists according to World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s (FIP) seven-star concept which describes a pharmacist as a caregiver, communicator, decision-maker, teacher, lifelong learner, leader and manager;1 the two-day event saw pharmacists participate from GCC countries including UAE, KSA, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine   

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2015: In the constantly evolving healthcare space in the MENA region, pharmacists are increasingly playing a critical role of providing a more patient centric approach which requires them to deliver the key service of medication management, medication reconciliation, preventive services (screening and immunization), education and behavioral counseling as well as managing the pharmacy model effectively. In order to equip the pharmacist with the skill-sets required to fulfill the seven-star concept, Bayer Healthcare brought together more than 200 pharmacists and industry experts to conduct a two-day workshop.

“We see regular instances where the pharmacist becomes the first point of contact for patients and it is very critical for them to be able to distinguish one case from the other, recommend doctor supervision and aim to reduce patient suffering. The workshop has helped them to not only learn from experts but through interaction with colleagues from different countries and sharing experiences,” said Dr. Fayeza Saif Nasir, Director of Quality Department, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).

“Training pharmacists to become experts in providing pharmaceutical care is a part of our on-going global efforts to recognize the important role played by them in the healthcare infrastructure to support patient needs. We strongly encourage the development of our regional pharmacists to become seven-star experts,” said Harald Liedtke, Managing Director of Bayer Middle East.

The concept of seven-star pharmacists launched by WHO and FIP in November 2006 and supported by Bayer Healthcare is aimed by addressing the need of pharmacists to meet the ever-increasing health demands: an ever-growing and complex range of medicines, and poor adherence to prescribed medicines, have forced the evolution of the pharmacist’s role into a more patient centric approach (known as pharmaceutical care).1 The workshop was received with great enthusiasm by the attendees with many of them eager to learn how to solve the challenges and provide best service to patients.